Claggett/Rey Gallery in Vail hosts multiple artist exhibit

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Claggett/Rey Gallery is hosting a show featuring works by Quang Ho, Josh Elliott, Jim Rey, Wayne Wolfe, Jim Morgan and photography by Ryn Clarke created after a recent visit to the T Cross Ranch in Dubois, Wyoming. Arrowhead residents Margaret and Loyal Wilson are generational supporters and part owners of the T Cross Ranch and have had a long relationship with Claggett/Rey Gallery. The Wilsons graciously extended the invitation to Claggett/Rey Gallery to select a group of artists and invite them to the ranch to explore, and to paint T-Cross' natural beauty and Western charm.

T Cross Ranch is an authentic piece of the frontier American West with a lush river meadow fronting the jagged Absaroka range. Surrounded by the Shoshone National Forest and the Washakie Wilderness Area, which borders Yellowstone National Park, the Ranch sits in its own secluded valley at 7,800 feet. Homesteaded in the 1890s as a cattle ranch, the T Cross is a dude ranch that has hosted generations of families since the 1920s with a classic log lodge and log cabins. This historic ranch is true to its heritage - committed to preserving the traditions of the American West.

"The atmosphere of camaraderie combined with the natural and richness of their surroundings provided the artists with a unique creative energy that produced some beautiful works," said gallery owner Bill Rey. "The varied environs available on and around the ranch allowed the artists to delve deeper into themes with which they were already familiar. It also gave them a chance to explore new directions of subject matter with the support of other artists.

"Some created on the spot daily and others were content to paint some and photograph and maybe fish in the property's Horse Creek," Rey continued. "Many rode horseback through the wilderness daily to some of the most scenic areas of the Washakie Wilderness. The only requirement was the artists' time. Bring them together and see what comes of it. We are very excited to receive the new work from these great artists to see how they were inspired."